


Empty Promises

by Timeless_Gris



Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: Nightmares, Tumblr request, idk - Freeform, no ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-05 01:10:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17315240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timeless_Gris/pseuds/Timeless_Gris
Summary: Request:"Angst, you say? Maybe Anti actually trying to redeem himself, him asking Jackieboy for help, and Jackie actually agrees to help Anti and even gets him to the other egos to say sorry and live with them like every other ego. But when Anti thought that everything is finally in peace he gets betrayed by the other egos which results in Anti never trusting any other ego and trying to get his revenge? You don't have to write this if you don't like it or feel like it. - ♥️ Anon"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to request a fanfiction you can ask here: https://quotesnerd.tumblr.com/

Waking up screaming wasn’t new for Anti.

Waking up in tears wasn’t new for Anti.

To be frightened, on the other hand, was an unprecedented novelty for the demon, who had never been afraid of anything in his life.

But now, with the incessant nightmares that haunted him, everything had changed. Because of them the demon had developed a paranoia that he kept hidden as much as possible, to prevent anyone discovering that the great Antisepticeye was frightened of something.

Being a demon meant not having weaknesses, having neither fear nor regrets.

But those nightmares had managed to stir a fear so deep in him that it was almost primordial. The fear that one day, everyone will forget about you, the fear that one day no one will call your name anymore.  
The fear that one day you will become nothing in the minds of the others.  
Anti didn’t want to be forgotten, but in the nightmares no one remembered his name, nobody knew who he was. In the nightmares, in the darkest caves of his subconscious, he was nothing.

His fear was his only weak point, a weak point that was backfiring him.

Lack of sleep made him untidy, less lethal, less powerful. Anti, now weak, couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to go back, back to when his sleep was quiet, when his days were worry-free. Back when he was feared. But it was late.  
Ironically, with the discovery of his fear, he had lost a part of himself. The self-confident part, sure of his beliefs.  
Looking at himself in the mirror now, the demon saw only the shell of his true self.

The glitch had started to ask questions, questions that had slowly replaced the chaos that lived in his head.

What is my purpose?

This question was the one that bothered him the most. According to the demon’s point of view, Anti shouldn’t ask certain questions. But he could no longer avoid them.  
And, even if it was humiliating, he needed help. Help that only a person who knew how to deal with people could give. That only a person used to helping people knew how to offer. As embarrassing as it was, the glitch needed the help of a hero.

The hero hadn’t been difficult to find. Anti, after observing the egos for some time, knew perfectly the path of the patrol that Jackieboy-man did every night, so he planned to meet him on top of one of the palaces that the hero used to visit.  
When Jackie saw Anti, sitting on the ledge of one of the tallest buildings in Septic City, he was on alert. The demon didn’t seem to be looking for a fight, but the hero would never have lowered his guard to such a subtle being.  
When, however, Anti looked up and met Jackie’s eyes, the ego understood that something was wrong with the enemy. The demon had no emotion in his eyes, which, without the usual madness, without the usual entertainment, were almost dead.  
Jackie’s first instinct was to ask the demon if everything was okay, but he let it go, opting for a more banal question. “What are you doing here, Anti?” Asked the hero, not realizing he had spat the demon’s name as if it had been poison.

The glitch didn’t answer right away, but something lit up in his eyes, only to go off immediately afterwards. The demon was looking for the right way to ask for the hero’s help without being too pathetic.  
“You can deal with people, right?” It wasn’t the question the glitch had in mind, but it was alright.  
“What?” The hero was confused. Was Anti making fun of him?  
“Answer.” Anti hissed, but tried to stay calm. He didn’t want the hero to leave. He couldn’t afford it. He was desperate.  
“Yes, if you’re asking me if I can help people, then yes.” Jackie replied, not understanding the demon’s intentions.  
“If… I asked you to help me, you would?” Anti had to look away, not to meet the hero’s gaze. Hero who was now amazed. The demon, asking for help? To Jackie?

Was he dreaming? Was Anti looking for genuine help? Without ulterior motives?

The last thought made the hero stop. Without ulterior motives. But was it really like that?  
“What do you need?” Jackie asked, unable to hide the confusion and curiosity that filled him. Anti looked him in the eyes, serious as ever. “An advice.”  
The hero nodded, listening to the demon, encouraging him to speak.  
“If, fuck I can’t believe what I’m about to say, I would ask forgiveness, to the egos, to… Séan. Do you think they would accept it?”

Anti? Who asks for forgiveness? Now it was official, he was making fun of him.

Although, the gaze of the demon, serious and at the same time empty, pushed him to believe him. “Are you kidding me?” The words left the hero’s mouth before he could even think about them.  
Anti’s almost wounded look was enough to make him regret having said those words. Anti was showing him a human side of himself, a side so different from the demon’s personality, and he managed to ruin everything like that? Jackie had the opportunity to bring the demon of his side, to make him change his path. To bring him on the right path.  
Anti stood up, with the clear intention of leaving. He hadn’t come all the way to get mocked like that. Damn it, Anti still had a little pride and certainly he will not beg the hero to help him.  
Jackie, thanks to his superhuman speed, grabbed the wrist of the demon, causing him to stop. “Sorry, I didn’t want to offend you. I will help you to ask Séan and the Egos for forgiveness, if that’s what you want.” Anti seemed surprised, but nodded. He no longer  
wanted to live in fear, in paranoia and in anguish.

“You promise?” Asked Anti, not quite convinced.

“I promise.” Answered the older ego.


	2. Chapter 2

As much as Jackie was optimistic, he was aware of the fact that the egos would not forgive Anti easily.  
After all the demon had done, it would take more than a couple of excuses to fix it. But this thought didn’t make the hero give up, he was convinced he could help the glitch.  
Glitch who was currently staring at the hero as if he was crazy. He had heard absurd plans in his life, but this beat them all.  
“Let me understand,” Anti began, looking into the hero’s eyes, to see if he was serious or not. “The plan is to go to the egos and … surprise them?” Anti churches, while the demon’s voice was full of nervousness and irritation. “Do you have a better plan?” The hero sarcastically asked, but he didn’t lose his smile.

Anti remained silent, not convinced of the elaborate plan - so to speak - of the other ego. It was his only chance to stop his nightmares and he didn’t want to waste it. The demon’s mind was tired and at the moment it could not formulate a better plan. For once he would have to trust the hero.  
Jackie fell silent for a few seconds, then a question occurred to him.

“Why do you want our forgiveness?” He suddenly asked to Anti, realizing he hadn’t asked this question before agreeing to help the glitch.  
Anti stared at him for a moment, not quite sure he wanted to expose such a great weakness to the ego. “Nightmares.” Anti said simply, while his distorted voice sounded muffled to his own ears. Anti looked back at the hero, just in time to catch a spark of excitement behind Jackie’s eyes. He didn’t pay much attention to it, deciding to get up from the cornice on which he was sitting.  
“I’ll gather the egos, then we’ll talk together, ok?” Jackie tried to reassure the demon, thinking of different ways to gather the Septics. Anti nodded, turning his gaze to the sun that was now rising on Septic City.  
“You’ll have to bandage your neck though.” Jackie said, remembering how Chase couldn’t stand the sight of blood and how that wound could trigger his friends.  
Anti remained dumbfounded for a moment, passing a hand on the still bleeding gash on his neck. As much as he hated to admit it, Jackie was right. Anti made a mental note to get some bandage, although the only idea of having to cover the wound he was so proud of made him sick.  
“Alright” agreed the demon, with an almost bored tone.

The hero smiled, then checked his cell phone. “I have to go” the hero said quickly, realizing he was late for breakfast. “I’ll call you right after breakfast.” Jackie said absently, not realizing he didn’t own the glitch number.  
Anti, though exhausted, realized this little detail. He tried to stop the hero, but he was already gone. The demon didn’t want to use his powers for something as banal as adding his own number to the hero’s phone, but apparently he was forced. Thus, straining his powers, he created his own contact on the hero’s cell phone.  
The demon sighed, rubbing his palms against his eyes. He hadn’t slept in weeks. Weeks in which his strength had diminished. Weeks in which the only thing in his mind was the static. A static that was so strong that it leads to devastating headaches.

All of this for some stupid nightmares.

Nightmares that he didn’t understand what they were caused by. He had tried to find answers, but the only one that came to mind was also the one he detested the most. That the nightmares were a manifestation of the glitch’s conscience? As much as Anti denied it, he also owned one. His coscience was a sick one, distorted, full of madness. And, it seemed, it had decided to punish the demon himself.

Anti was infuriated with himself, he considered himself weak.  
And a weak person belongs with other weak persons.  
This was the twisted reasoning of the demon.

Meanwhile, an agitated Jackieboy-man sat at the table in his home, shared with the other four egos. He didn’t know how the others would react to Anti’s news, but probably, after the initial panic, they would calm down. Of course, it seemed like a stupid move to bring his number one enemy into his own home, but Anti wanted to change and Jackie, being a hero, would help him at any cost.  
His thoughts were interrupted when Chase placed a plate of freshly prepared pancakes in front of the hero, who was starving. Jackie immediately began to devour them, not paying attention to the silent protests of Jameson, who begged him to have a minimum of etiquette at the table. Chase, looking at the scene, found himself chuckling. Then he turned his gaze to Henryk and Marvin, who were arguing about what was best: coffee or hot chocolate. It was a discussion that was often done, considering the different tastes of the various egos. Chase and Jameson preferred tea, Marvin chocolate, while the hero and the doctor were addicted to coffee. Chase smiled to himself, relaxing in the tranquility of their home.

Tranquility that wouldn’t last long.

Immediately after breakfast, Jackieboy-man ordered the egos to remain seated at the table. The magician was about to reply, not wanting to postpone his exercises with magic, but the hero didn’t listen to him, pulling out his cell phone and scrolling through his contacts.  
When he found the name, he was puzzled for a few seconds since he had never saved the number of the glitch, but recovered quickly and called the number.  
“They’re all here, you can come.” That was all the egos heard about the call.  
The doctor was the one who asked the question that was bothering everyone in the room.  
“Who’s coming, Jackie?” The doctor hesitated. He wasn’t sure why, but he had a bad feeling.  
Jackie looked at the egos, and then spoke in a calm and steady voice.  
“Keep calm. He came here for a good reason. Don’t panic” The words had the opposite effect on the poor men, who now all shared the same bad feeling as Henryk.  
Unfortunately, nobody had time to speak when, in a cloud of pixels, their worst nightmare appeared, the one who had set fear and pain in their hearts.

Anti.

Marvin was the first to get up, ready to attack the glitch. Chase fell from his chair in shock, pulling back against the wall behind him. Jameson ran to hide behind the wizard, while Henryk couldn’t move from fear.  
The glitch snorted and looked at the hero. “That’s why I didn’t want to follow yer stupid plan” the glitch said, adjusting the white bandage around his neck. Jackie looked at the egos, trying to reassure them. “Guys trust me! He has a good reason to be here!” Jackie said, ignoring Anti’s comments. Marvin looked at Jackie as if he was crazy. “What are you saying? He is our worst enemy! He shouldn’t be here!” The wizard shouted, followed by Jameson’s frantic nod, who was clinging to the wizard’s shoulders as if his life depended on it.

Jackie ran a hand over his face, looking for a remedy to the situation that he just created.  
“You have to listen to him!” Jackie said, looking at the men one by one. “I would never put you in danger on purpose, trust me!”  
Chase stood up trembling, clinging to the wall to support himself.  
“What do you want from us?” Chase asked, ignoring the memories of Dark Silence threatening to return to the surface.  
Anti remained silent, while the heterochromatic eyes of the creature sought support in the figure of the hero, who placed a hand on his shoulder.  
After a long breath, the demon decided to speak. “I… came to apologize. For my behavior and for what I’ve done in the past.” These words seemed wrong spoken by the demon, but they were full of weariness and resignation.

Henryk, hearing these words, began to tremble. After all that Anti had done to them, done to Jack, he couldn’t believe him.  
Marvin glanced at the doctor, then looked at the demon again. “Is this some sort of sick joke?” Asked the wizard in a bitter, irritated tone of voice. Jackie sighed, approaching the egos. Then he turned to Anti, looking at him with a certain sympathy in his eyes. “Would you give us a few seconds please?” He asked to the demon, who nodded and went out of the kitchen without adding a word.  
“What’s wrong with you Jackie? Welcoming the enemy into our house!” Marvin asked once the demon was out of the kitchen. “You must listen to me! He’s telling the truth! He really wants our forgiveness!” The hero said, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Why was it so hard to believe that even Anti possessed a human side?  
“He brainwashed you, Jackie.” The doctor said, he recovered enough to formulate a meaningful sentence. “You haven’t seen him. Yesterday night he came to me asking for help. He sounded deperate.” Revealed the hero.  
Jameson looked at Jackie, while a slide appeared before the silent ego.

[Are you sure of your words my friend?]

Jackie nodded convinced. Yes, he was sure of them. Jameson gave him a small smile, breaking away from Marvin and turning to the remaining egos.

[In my opinion we should give him a second chance.]

Chase watched the slide, not entirely sure. After all, Anti was the monster that haunted them everywhere, he couldn’t forgive him so easily. Not after what he had done to Jack.  
Jackie smiled, putting himself next to Jameson. “Think about it for a second guys! If we had him on our side, we shouldn’t fear him anymore! We would all be safe!” The hero said, trying to convince the three men.  
Marvin sighed, adjusting the mask that covered his face. “All right, but first there will be a trial period. I do not trust that monster.” The wizard said, then turned to Chase and Henryk.  
“I do not know bro, I’m not convinced.” Chase said sincerely. He couldn’t forgive what Anti had done to his family that fast.

The doctor took a deep breath. “This situation can be useful” Henryk said, while the German accent made his words stand out even more. Séan came to his mind. The fact that he was now in a coma because of the demon. However, considering the situation, joining the demon was the best thing to do. Without the constant threat of the glitch, Henryk can devote himself to his studies without worries.  
What’s the saying? Keep close your friends and even closer your enemies.  
Chase was the only one left to convince. It was Jackie who cleared his mind. “Dude, think about it! If Anti comes on our side, your children will be safe!” The hero said, understanding the father’s concerns. At that point Chase nodded too, deciding to highlight the safety of his children.  
“What if he’s lying? What if this is just one of his sick games?” Asked Marvin, trying to get rid of doubts.  
“He’s not lying” began Jackie, sure of his words. “He decided to change since nightmares keep him awake at night.” Revealed the hero.

That was enough to convince them all.


	3. Chapter 3

When the egos came out of the kitchen, they were surprised to discover that Anti wasn’t there.

Panic began to unleash among the egos, who didn’t trust at all to leave the demon alone in their home. Their worries vanished when they found Anti, unconscious on the living room couch.  
The figure of the demon seemed almost human. Now that the wound on his neck wasn’t visible and his eyes were closed, Anti seemed … normal. He didn’t awaken the fear that was drowned in the minds of the egos, he didn’t make them tremble with fear. Indeed, some of them, like Jameson, felt what could be called pity towards the much feared glitch.

Marvin decided to wake the demon, even though a part of him wanted to let him sleep, feeling safe knowing that Anti was in a deep state of sleep.  
The wizard approached the demon, gently touching his shoulder. He would have expected a violent reaction, full of anger or screams. He never expected that Anti opened his eyes slowly, still dazed by the little nap, remaining silent.  
The demon looked up, meeting the figure of the magician, then he glanced at the other egos. Chase was the first to break the silence, using a slightly detached tone of voice.

“We decided to give you a chance, Anti. I would advise you not to waste it.” His tone of voice was cold, it was a tone that didn’t suit the vlogger.  
Anti nodded, still disoriented by the unexpected awakening. Jackie could swear he saw a spark of fear behind the demon’s eyes, but curiously he didn’t point it out to anyone.  
Once he learned the news, Anti lay back on the sofa, closing his eyes and falling asleep again. The egos looked at each other, then decided who would do the first turn of watch. After all, they still didn’t trust the demon on his own. Chase volunteered, as he was the only one without commitments. Sure, there was Jameson, but if something happened the mute couldn’t warn them.

Chase sat down in the armchair next to the couch, sinking into it. The other egos dispersed soon after: Henryk returned to his study to finish the arretrated work, Jameson decided to do the laundry, Jackieboy-man needed some sleep and Marvin had to prepare for his next show of magic, which would have taken place in a few days.  
Chase ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He didn’t like the situation, but having the demon as an ally was better than having him as an enemy.  
Demon that at the moment was curled up in a corner of the sofa, while emitting a light static noise. The noise, fortunately for Chase, was only in the background, barely audible. The father looked at the glitch, continuing to think of how the situation was absurd. He was awakened from his own thoughts when the demon began to mutter disconnected words of distress under his breath.

Chase, used to the nightmares of his children, got up and sat down next to the demon, hesitating for a few seconds and then passing a hand on his back, caressing him, trying to calm him down without waking him up.  
The murmurs ceased, being replaced again by the static that seemed to accompany Anti wherever he went. Chase, looking at the demon in this moment of weakness, wondered how it was possible that the person curled up on his sofa was the same person who had destroyed the lives of all the egos.

Chase, at that moment, wondered what Jack would do in his place. If, in such a situation, their creator would have forgiven Anti, or if he would have kicked him out of his house, not wanting the demon next to him.  
Time seemed to pass quickly, with the father lost in his thoughts and the demon completely asleep. What brought the vlogger back to reality was Henryk, who entered the living room without removing his eyes from Anti.  
“Lunch is ready, could you wake him up?” Asked the doctor, more out of courtesy than the need for an answer.  
“Sure, give me a minute.” Chase replied, then laying his gaze on the demon. Now that he could watch him without being killed, the vlogger noticed that Anti’s figure was much smaller than he had ever imagined. Chase gave a little sigh, and then started calling the creature’s name.

“Anti? Wake up” His words didn’t produce results, since the demon was either ignoring them or could not hear them. The father opted for the second option, after all the demon didn’t sleep well for a long time, it was normal that his sleep was so deep.  
Chase sighed, but couldn’t help but think how adorable the demon was in these conditions. He began to shake him lightly, until the demon opened his eyes again, that were sleepy and … empty? It was as if he was looking into the eyes of a corpse. As if the demon had been emptied of all of his emotions.  
“Lunch is ready.” The vlogger told him, hoping that the demon would be awake enough to be able to understand the words that were addressed to him.  
Anti stood up, remaining in his terrifying silence. Chase didn’t know the demon so well, but he knew for sure that he shouldn’t behave this way. “Anti, are you all right?” Asked the father, with a note of concern in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m just a little sleepy.” That was Anti’s answer, so Chase let his worries disappear, escorting the demon into the dining room.  
When they arrived, silence filled the room, while Anti took a seat next to Jackieboy-man, with whom he strangely had a good relationship. Despite their past fights, insults, derision, the hero had helped Anti and the demon would not forget it. He was almost grateful.

Something inside Anti moved, a deep feeling. The feeling that this shouldn’t be happening, that the demon should kill the egos, not want them as friends. Anti managed to hide his discomfort, while the sensation was slowly muffled by something not definable, but that calmed him a lot.

Anti was no longer the same, but even he couldn’t understand what was wrong.

It was Jackie who interrupted the heavy silence created in the room. “How did you sleep Anti?” Asked the hero, trying to ease the tension. “I slept good, thank you” answered the demon, feeling the static in his head roar furiously at the answer. It was all wrong, it shouldn’t be this way.

Why was he behaving like this? Why he suddenly changed? What had made him change his behavior?

These were Anti’s thoughts during the lunch, in which the other egos forgot about the presence of the demon, like in his nightmares. But something inside the glitch made him desist from talking. He made him desist from screaming.

It was all wrong.

Anti remained seated at the table, zoning out while the others stood up. He felt lost. He didn’t have to be there.  
He had to leave, he had to find a solution.  
But he didn’t do anything about it. Marvin looked at the glitch, worried, but remained silent.  
It was Jameson who made the demon raise from his seat, informing him that he had planned a small surprise to welcome him.  
The demon followed the ego along the corridor, before arriving in front of a slightly damaged door.

[I’m sorry I could not do better, but this morning I worked hard to make the basement habitable. Unfortunately we do not have empty rooms at the moment, so this is the best I can offer.]

Anti read the slide, then opened the door. He went down the stairs slowly, then stopped at the end of them, turning on the light switch and starting to study the room. It was empty for the most part, furnished only by a couple of closets, a bed and a small bookcase.  
The walls were a dark in color, a dark blue, the bed sheets were instead of a dull green. The furniture looked old, but still in good condition.  
Jameson placed a hand on Anti’s shoulder, wanting the demon’s opinion about the new location. Anti gave a small smile, which turned out to be wrong in his mind. He should take this opportunity to corrupt the silent ego, to make him tremble with fear.  
“It’s beautiful, thank you” was the comment that Anti made, he then sit on his new bed.

Wrong. WRONG. WRONG.

What was happening to him?

Jameson smiled, not seeing a monster in front of his eyes, but a new friend.

[you’ll be tired I guess, you’d better rest.]

Anti nodded, then lay down and fell asleep in record time.  
Jameson lost his smile, while worry afflicted the poor ego. Anti was silent, lost in his own thoughts. Probably it’s the new situation, the silent thought, he then turned off the light and returned in the living room, being welcomed by the other egos.  
“How is he?” Asked the doctor, more out of curiosity than interest.

[ he fell asleep immediately.]

This was the simple answer from Jameson. The others nodded.  
“Are we sure we can leave him alone? I mean, it’s still… him.” Marvin said, showing distrust. “He’s exhausted, he can’t do anything even if he wanted to” Chase replied, looking at the basement door quietly. They had nothing to worry about. Anti wasn’t a threat to them, not anymore.  
Jackie nodded, not feeling threatened by the demon’s presence. In those conditions, the glitch could never attack them.

They were safe.

For the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks passed from the day in which Anti asked for forgiveness.

Finally, Anti had been accepted into the group, readmitted to the family. The egos talked to him more often, they didn’t seem to fear him. Nightmares had vanished, replaced by dreamless nights. Everything was going right.

So why did Anti feel so bad? Why did he feel like everything was wrong? He couldn’t understand.

The demon should have felt joy, he should be happy. But all of this only worsened his situation. In fact, maybe, a part of Anti, the part that still holds something human, seriously wanted everything to settle down, that the demon and the egos could make a truce and live happily.  
Many times he wondered what had pushed him to ask for forgiveness. But the answer to that question was simple. Nightmares. Nightmares that were born out of nothing. Nightmares that had struck him with his only weakness.

His only fear.

Anti couldn’t understand. Everything was confused. His thoughts were always blurred, the static in his head was always silenced by something. Something that lived in the brain of the glitch, but he had no idea of what it could be. It was like a cloud, which made Anti’s mind empty, emptied of every thought.  
The egos knew that there was something wrong with the demon, but they did nothing. They didn’t want to risk that Anti returned himself, a psychopath, a murderer, a manipulator, they didn’t want him to go back to being the puppet master.  
Sometimes Anti asked to be able to see Jack, but the Egos never let him approach, making excuses on excuses. They didn’t want that being near their creator, their friend. Anti never insisted too much, understanding the situation. The static in his mind made him understand. They didn’t trust him. They would never have done it, especially in Jack’s condition, still in a coma. No one pointed out that it was the demon himself who made their creator fall into an uncertain sleep. Nobody pointed it out, not in front of Anti at least. 

Because the glitch knew that when he wasn’t with them, the egos talked about him.

Like in that moment.

They were gathered around Jack, who was lying on a hospital bed, while a monitor emitted a small “beep” every time the youtuber’s heart beated.  
Anti was out of the door, left unwittingly half open by one of the egos. The demon had already visited Jack in secret, in the middle of the night. During those nights, the temptation to pull the plug that kept their creator alive was always present. But he had always restrained himself.  
The thoughts of the glitch wandered as he listened to what the other egos had to say about him.

“He changed” said a voice, Chase’s voice.  
Their arguments were always the same, never once was something new added. But that time was different.  
That time, the egos signed their death sentence.  
“I agree, but I ztill I can not believe that Marvin’s zpell could change him so much” said a voice with a strong German accent. Henryk’s words made Anti turn his head in their direction, while even the static in his head was silenced to make room for words.

A spell?

“You should already know that my spells are one hundred percent reliable.” Marvin replied, while his tone contained a not-so-hidden joyful note. “And anyway, if we want to be precise, I’ve done more than one spell. Three, to be exact. One to discover his greatest fear, which was not easy.” Revealed the magician, thinking he was far from indiscreet ears. “The second was a curse that consisted of causing him nightmares.”  
Anti restrained his fury, wanting to hear the conversation.

“The third” began Marvin, while pride filled him, “The third was the most difficult. I practically hypnotized him, I convinced him that he had changed. I putted in his head some fake thoughts.” The wizard finished, with a satisfied light in his eyes. Before Anti could do   
anything, the conversation resumed.

“Jameson is right, What if you need to remove the spells?” Asked Chase, not knowing he had just asked the question that Anti was waiting for. “The curse has been removed by itself once hypnosis has taken place. For the hypnosis the process is simple. He just needs to know what has happened to him. That’s why we’re talking about it here and not in a place where he might heard our words.” Marvin said, unable to know that the glitch was listening to them at that moment, now enraged.  
“But” the magician resumed, “I can’t take all the credit for this. The creator of this brilliant plan is nothing less than our amazing hero!” The ego finished his sentence, while all the heads in the room -except Jack’s- turned to Jackie.  
A short silence followed the conversation, then the hero answered the question that Anti could not hear. 

“I didn’t think it could seriously work, it was just an idea. Then when the glitch himself came to me, I couldn’t believe it. Ironically, the puppet master has become a puppet himself.” Jackie proudly revealed.  
These last words were enough for Anti, who dematerialized in a cloud of pixels. Jackie’s words hurted him more than anything else.

And this was a hero? A hero who uses the weaknesses of his opponents to make them do what he wanted? A hero who made empty promises? This was something the bad guys did.

That Anti did.

They had manipulated him. They had mocked him. They had taken everything from him.

Anti no longer felt doubt. Anti felt nothing besides a burning hatred for those who had humiliated him in that dirty way. He wanted to see them dead. Or worse. Broken beyond repair.  
Maybe a part of him really wanted those fools to become his new family. But now that part craved their blood. He wanted to make them suffer. He wanted to destroy them.

They will pay dearly for what they have done.

They wanted to be a family? He will turn them into a beautiful family of puppets.

And this was a promise.


	5. Chapter 5

No one would have expected it, after all, their plan was bomb-proof.

They didn’t expect to have to go back to fearing for their lives, now more in danger than before. All of this, for a simple distraction. A simple mistake. They had lowered the guard.

If only someone had closed that door, if only they had talked about something else. But the glitch was always present in their minds, now too deep in them to be removed. They had relaxed, they had convinced themselves that they had won.

This had been another mistake.

Their conviction, their security, had blinded them to the enemy’s abilities. They had underestimated him and now they would have paid the consequences.

The fear came back overbearing, like a river in flood. He couldn’t be stopped. He couldn’t be controlled.

On that fateful day, the egos came out of Jack’s room, next to the doctor’s office. It was night outside, not a single light filtered through the windows, while the world had silenced, as if it had hidden itself too. Then they heard the madness clear and distinct. Madness that nestled in the darkest corners of their home, a madness that seemed to observe them, choosing who would be its next prey. Marvin was the first to understand, he was the first to remember. They had no need to unlock the door to get out of the room.

Because it had remained open.

The magician turned to his friends, eyes wide open, full of terror.  
“He heard us.” The ego said the voice a little higher than a whisper. “He’s free now.”  
The last statement caused the blood to freeze in all the egos, while the air around them became heavy. Then the silence that had been created was broken. Broken by a twisted, sick, crazy laughter.  
It echoed through the corridors of the house, piercing the minds of the men, causing them to cover their ears in pain. In addition to the laughter they could hear a noise that could be called by only one name: static.  
Tears began to gush from Jameson’s eyes, the youngest of the egos. Jackie noticed, immediately going to comfort the mute. “Everything will be all right J, I promise.”  
At those words the laughter ceased abruptly.

“Another promise, hero?”

Anti’s voice was distorted, but the message came very clear to the poor men, now close to each other. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.” The voice continued. The anger behind those words was a real rage, a fury that couldn’t be calmed. “Do you want to manipulate them too? Put false thoughts in their head? Make them believe something impossible?” The demon asked again.  
“You’re angry with me, aren’t you? So leave them alone!” Jackieboy-man’s voice was self-assured, but his was a false security. Fear was hidden behind every word.  
The laugh resumed, as if he was making fun of the hero.

He would never let them go. They had to pay.

They realized that the doctor had disappeared only moments later, too late. They couldn’t leave Henryk at Anti’s mercy, they couldn’t and didn’t want to.  
Jackie turned to his friends, to his family.  
“You stay here with Jack. I’m going to look for Henryk.” He said in a voice that didn’t admit replies. Chase wanted to say something, anything. But Marvin was faster, nodding and dragging the father and the silent with him into the hospital room, closing the door behind them.

Jackie walked down the corridor, looking in every room, but there wasn’t the slightest trace of the doctor. Until he felt a hand grip him.  
Jackie turned around, freeing himself from the grasp and looking his assailant in the face. He would have expected to see Anti, not Henryk.  
Jackie smiled, a smile that died out when the room was flooded with red light, and the hero could clearly see the situation.  
The ego’s eyes were no longer human. They had been replaced by the static itself. It was like to watch a broken, old, TV.  
The realization was immediate. Henryk had become a puppet.  
The doctor held up a hand, he had a scalpel in it. Jackie dodged the blow, not wanting to attack what was once his friend.

“Henryk! Please wake up!” The hero shouted desperately as the doctor continued to attack. With each movement green strings appeared, bound to the wrists and the neck of the ego. Jackie didn’t know what to do. He should have saved them, but he had condemned them all.  
The hero left the room, locking the door. He could hear the doctor’s fists being throwed at it, but the door was hard enough to resist.  
Jackie decided to go check on the others, starting to run towards Jack’s room. Inside there were only Jameson, Jack and Marvin. Not a trace of Chase.  
Marvin looked up as a ball of fire formed in one of his hands. As soon as he noticed that he was facing Jackie and not Anti, the fireball disappeared into nothingness.  
“Chase has escaped.” Marvin said, as fear controlled him. He was trembling, he was scared. Jameson rushed to the wizard’s side, hugging him.

[He claimed to hear his children’s screams, but we didn’t hear anything. We tried to stop him, but it was useless.]

The hero turned, ready to go back out to save Chase. “And Henryk?” Asked Marvin, hopefully. The hero looked to the side, unable to face either of the two egos. “The demon got him” Jackie said, and then left the room. He didn’t want to see the sorrowful expressions of the two egos.  
The hero walked through the corridors of the house, now all inundated with that horrible red light. Then he heard a scream, which he recognized was Chase’s.

No!

Jackie ran to the source of the screams, finding Chase, motionless on the floor. Jackie immediately rushed to his side, praying that the ego would wake up. Praying that the ego wasn’t dead.  
Praying that this was just a nightmare.  
The father moved, then opened his eyes. The sight of them terrified Jackie. Chase had become another puppet. Suddenly the ego took out a gun. And not a nerf pistol. A true one. Jackie just dodged the shot that was fired as he moved away from the ego.

From the puppet.

His eyes were the same as Schneep’s, and with him too, every movement showed wires, the strings with which the glitch branded his puppets.  
Jackie ran away, not wanting to hurt one of his friends. He managed to close him inside the room, he only hoped that Chase wouldn’t start shooting at the lock.  
The hero had no other choice, he could no longer save them. They should have escaped.  
He came back to Jack’s room. When he got there, nobody was there. Only the body of his creator. A shiver shook his ego, while a movement in the air made alerted him. He turned, meeting Jameson’s static eyes.  
The glitch had taken another one of his friends.  
Jameson tried to hit the hero, but Jackie was quicker, dodging the attack and running.

Running away like a coward.

He began to run along the corridor, which was blocked by a magical wall. Jackie turned around, finding all of his friends, including Marvin.  
They were all puppets.

Anti had won.

“Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. They call you a hero, but you’re not.” Anti’s distorted voice penetrated his head, hurting him.  
No, he didn’t want to be like them. He had to find a way to escape, to save himself.  
“Pretty selfish thoughts, Jackieboy-man.” said the glitch. The voice, Jackie realized, didn’t come from the corridor.

It was in his head.


	6. Chapter 6

It was like being in a nightmare.

His body didn’t respond to commands, his mind was clouded, his head heavy.

The blood that circulated in his veins suddenly hurted him, as if it had been replaced with boiling lava. His lungs were empty, as if there were no more oxygen in the room.

Was this what the others had felt?

Jackie didn’t want to find out. He had to escape, he had to fight.

“Fighting? How can you fight against something that is in your head?” Anti asked, amused. Finally he had won, finally the egos had fallen. He would never have killed the egos, after all, what fun there was playing with a completely broken toy?  
He had a lot of fun making the Egos become his puppets. One by one they had all fallen, and so will the hero. Anti had to admit that Jackie was a valid opponent, nothing to do with the other men, who had succumbed easily.

For Henryk, it was enough to remind him how he failed to save Jack, making him relive the moment when the creator fell into a coma again and again.

For Chase, it was enough to use his children, to remind him that he had been a horrible father, a horrible family leader and a horrible husband.

For Jameson, the poor mute, it was enough to remind him of how the fans doubted of him, how his innocence was seen as a fiction, like a deceit.

For Marvin, it was enough to remind him of how he shouldn’t have existed, of how his own creator didn’t immediately give him a name, a story, an identity.

Jackie tried to get up, he tried to do something, anything. “You failed as a hero, you failed as a friend.” Sang the glitch in a distorted voice. The ego tried to ignore him, tried to stop him. But it was all useless. The most terrifying thing, his friends were there, staring at him, without helping him, without saving him. “They can’t do anything now. After all, a puppet can’t move without the puppeteer deciding, Am I wrong?” Anti’s voice was no longer angry, he seemed more satisfied, as if he knew he had the victory in his hands.

“Now… get up, puppet. Get up and walk.” The order was the only thing that made Jackie move, it was the only thing that seemed to command his body. Jackie tried to stop, but it was all useless. That was no longer his body.  
Only his mind remained of his own, and he wanted to preserve it for as long as possible.  
“Why do you resist, hero? Wouldn’t it be easier to just let go?” The voice asked, this time as if it was a whisper.

“This is all your fault. A hero should protect, a hero should help. But I forgot… since when are you a hero?” The laugh of the glitch rumbled through the corridor, filling the ears and the mind of the ego, who, in vain, still tried to save himself.  
His thoughts turned to the community, to their fans, who gave him strength. “The same ones who created me? The same ones that give me strength? The same ones who left you?” Asked the glitch, determined to make Jackie give up once and for all.  
“What do you think? They will not save you. They crave me, they love me! They’re all my puppets!” Anti said, wanting to destroy all the hope still wielded by the hero. But even Jackie knew that the demon was telling the truth. In the end, the highlight was Anti. They just wanted him. They no longer needed a hero. They wanted a villain.  
Jackie turned his gaze to Jack’s room, in a vain attempt to cling to something, something that wouldn’t allow the demon to win.

“You’re betting everything on your creator, the same person who abandoned you. The same person that gave me life.” The demon started, feeling sick pleasure watching Jackie’s willpower, his mind, his spirit being corrupted bit by bit.  
But the hero wasn’t as pure as he said he was. He too felt hatred, felt resentment. A proof of this was the plan created by himself, who was now turning against him.  
Jackie looked at the egos. He could no longer save them.

“You doomed them all” said Anti, coming out into the open, appearing in a cloud of pixels in front of the hero.

I doomed them all, Jackie repeated in his mind.

“You couldn’t save them”

I couldn’t save them.

“You failed”

I failed.

“You are like them.” Said the demon, while his face opened in a gruesome grin, too large to belong to a human being.

I am like them.

It no longer made sense to fight. It no longer made sense to try to save himself. It made no sense to find a solution.

“You are a puppet.”

“I am a puppet.”

This time, Jackie said it aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST CHAPTER! I hope you liked this!  
> If you have a request please ask it on my tumblr! ( https://quotesnerd.tumblr.com/ )  
> I want to thank you all for reading and to thank the Anon that gave me the prompt! Thank you Anon!


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